One-size-fits-all approach
by TABOR won't work

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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There is a line from Gone With the Wind: "Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them!"

Supporters of TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) would like to strip away some of our Maine "conveniences" -- garbage collection, putting out fires, neighborhood patrols and public safety, plowing roads, services to the elderly, educational opportunities for children and adults, library services, parks and recreation, keeping public records, dispatching emergency services, supervision of jails, solving crimes and road repairs.

Supporters of TABOR think a one-size-fits-all formula applied to every town and city will fix our problems. Their formula will subtract services to our communities and take away local control over budgets. Their formula will add costs by forcing voters to go to the polls to approve increased costs their towns have no control over: ice and wind storms, floods, gas and heating oil, health insurance, equipment and training.

If your town votes against TABOR but it passes statewide, tough luck. You're stuck with that highly restrictive, wasteful formula anyway. Do you want your town to decide its needs for fire and police protection based on a formula? I wouldn't want to be that homeowner whose house was damaged or destroyed because a formula cut back the town's fire department.

Why did Colorado, the only state with TABOR, vote to suspend it last fall? Why did 24 states vote it down last year? Let's join the rest of America and say "no" to TABOR.

Dean Corner

Augusta

deancorner@hotmail.com